Nice cool weather, the first time I have put on my jersey since leaving home. The time was 6 30 am, the sky overcast, but there I was taking photographs again. I knew this must be the US when I saw rows and rows of munition magazines, half round buildings emerging from the ground, and aircraft hangars with dozen of helicopters parked out side.
Lots of small police or port authority boats buzzing around. Why do they go so fast, as if they had to be somewhere yesterday.
Straight in through the heads, turned left and there ahead was cruise terminal. The Statendam had docked before us again.
There she was with sailing ships on one side and an aircraft carrier on the other--the Midway, I think.
I will tell you later as today I plan to visit the Marine Museum and have a look around these ships.
Once the ship had tied up we all had to go through US Immigration. This was done onboard on deck 5 and started just before 8 am.
Quite painless, but as we lined up in the Piano Bar the ship's staff scanned our cabin passes, as they normally do as we leave the ship. Onto the desks set for the US immigration to have our passports and visas checked. Continued on to the ships staff again to have our cabin passes rescanned. Evidently we had theoretically been off the ship while going through immigration, hence the off/on boarding process. Just now, at 9.30 am, an announcement has been made asking for two specific passengers to report to US immigration. We all wait as no one can leave the ship until everyone has been processed.
Quarter to ten, the ship has be cleared and all passengers checked by immigration, and we have just been told we can go ashore.
Here in San Diego we have passengers leaving the ship and new one joining us. The same happened a Fort Lauderdale, although there most from the previous cruise, an epic around the world cruise, left the ship and about 1000 of us new passengers boarded. It appears a bit like a hop-on hop-off bus. Current passenger leave about 9 in the morning and new one board from about 2 in the afternoon.
Just back from visiting the aircraft carrier, Midway and have some observations: one, forget those previous comments about it being cool, it is not; two, the Midway has more stairs, steps, and ladders than the Amsterdam; Three, people that climb into tin-cans with wings and motors and take off and land on the deck of an aircraft carrier smaller than the ship I'm cruising in must be .... or let's say different.
Having said that the tour was very good and should be on everyones list when visiting San Diego. In the hangar deck there are several flight simulators in which you are completely enclosed and complete 3 dimension movement, including pointing vertical up and down and 360 degree rotation.
Exciting. Did I have a ride, no, I watched and took a short video.
Up to deck 8, The Lido Deck for lunch. The self service buffet had shutters up and staffing "What would l like, sir". With new passengers coming on board the self service is closed down for 48 hours. The same happened when we boarded in Fort Lauderdale.
Got my lunch and sat looking out over the ships of the Marine Museum, and latter sea gull from San Diego dropped in.
Not much more to write about today as I am going to have a easy afternoon.
Tomorrow and the next day we are at sea sailing up the west coast to Victoria on Vancouver Island.
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